Refrigerating apparatus



Much-29,1 9 38J 2 R. E. GOULD 2,112,400

REFRIQERATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 31, 1935 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 l i, 2,112,400 nEFmGEaA'rmG APPARATUS Richards. Gould, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Gen- 1 poration of Delaware eral Motors Corporation,

Dayton, Ohio, a cor- I a lApplication'August 31, 1935, Serial. N ws 4 Claims. (Cl. 151-45)- l invention relates refrigerating appatratustand more particularly to insulating means fonrefrigerator cabinets. i 1

Heretofore;.mostninsulating units for refrigerator cabinets have been heavy and thus diificult to handle or they have been lightand 'fragile, and, therefore, likewise difllcult to handle.

It is an objectoi' my invention to provide an insulating unit which is easy to handle, and which will withstand rough handling without damage; and alsoxbe capable of being inserted in place and fitting tightly therein without difllculty.x i W It' is a more specific objectof my invention to provide an insulating unitof spaced sheets'having resilient spacing structures extendingaround theedges of the sheets provided with suillcient resiliency to make sealing engagement with the adjacent spaced sheets and spacing" structures so asto. provide substantially sealed air, spaces betweenthe sheets'and providing suflicient resiliency to' enable the unit to be compressed slightly 'when being inserted into the insulation space and thereafter to expand to tightly engage the walls of theinsulationspace; T i i 1 Furtherobjects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following descriptioml reference being had to the-ac- 'companying'drawing, wherein a'preferred' form of the present invention is clearly shown.

Inthe'drawing; 1 i Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view ofa refrigerator cabinet provided with insulating units embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectionalview of an pper corner of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1;.

. 1 Fig. 3 is a plan view of a comer of one of the resilient 'frames forming the spacing structure; Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the spacing structure taken from the right of Fig. 8;.and

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of a corner of one of the spacing structures looking from the bottom of Fig. 3.

Generally" speaking, my insulating unit comprises a plurality ofslab-likeunits which are stacked together within an enclosing, envelope which forms an outer seal. Each of these slablike units is formed of a resilient rectangular frame structure comprising four strips of double asphalt paper which are jointed at their end portions to form a rectangular structure. This rectangular structure is formed into a resilient spacing structure by turning up the outside edges of the strips so that an acute angle is made with the flat portions of the strips. To the wide flat between the layers. bestshownby the strip 40. in Fig. 5. :Aiter the four strips are doubled, they are placed in the form "ofa rectangle and fastened together at the corners-by a staple 42 as best shown in Figs. '3, 4 and 5, or by a suitable adhesivev such as side of this rectangular frameso formed is fastened by an adhesive such as asphalt either a foil or a paper sheet. The foil preferably should be of bright alumnium or zinc, each of which has the 7 property of reflecting radiant heat to a;relatively high degree.

Referring now more particularly to the draw-- .ing, there is shown in Fig. 1, a refrigerator cabinet I generally designated by the reference character 20 provided with inner metal walls'22 enclosing the food compartment and outer nietalwalls including side walls It and top and bottom walls 28 and which are spaced from the inner metal walls 22 to provide insulation space therebetween. Within the insulationspace, there are provided insulating units such as theinsulation units 32 in the'side walls and .theinsulation units 34 and 36 in the top and bottom walls.

These insulating units are similar in construction and shapeand for this reason one of the in-.

il-ismade up ota plurality of slab-like units 36.

Each of theseslab-like units comprisesa. rectangularframe structure generally designated by;

the reference character, 38 which is formed of strips of heavy resilient paper, preferably paper made up of a plurality of. layers withasphaltin Thesestrips are doubled as asphalt. If desired, both the staple and the asphalt may be used. The corners are then cut oil. on a 45 angle and the outer edges of the strips turned up as shown at 44 and 46 to form a cantilever projection extending from the wide flat portion of the strip at an acute angle. This makesa sort of a V-shaped section. This cantilever projection is highly resilient and when compressed, will return susbtantially to its original shape. Upon the bottom side of each of these frames, I fasten by a suitable adhesive such as glue, either a sheet of paper or some heat reflecting foil or composition sheet such as aluminum or zinc foil. This completes the assembly of one oi. the slab-like units.

The slab-like units of each insulating unitr'nay be made all alike upon one. machine. However,

it is desirable that about two or three of these slab-like units be provided with a heat reflecting surface and in order to reduce the cost that the remainder of slab-like units have a paper sheet which is relatively impervious to air. Preterably: the slab-like units provided with heat reflecting sheets are placed in between two pairs of slab-like units provided with paper sheets. These slab-like units, preferably from four to seven in number, are placed within a waterproof envelope 48 which may be formed 01' a plurality of layers of paper with asphalt in between. This envelope is then closed and sealed.v

Preferably, the envelope is just as large and may even be slightly larger than the insulation space provided within the walls of the cabinet. Thus, in placing the envelope within the cabinet, it may be compressed slightly and when in place will iit tightly against the walls of the cabinet, due to the resiliency provided in the rectangular frames of the slab-like units; The cantilever projecting edge portions with their own resiliency keep in contact with the adjacent slab-like unit and form an air seal around the air space between the sheets of paper and foil. Thus, an insulating unit of a plurality of sheets oi foil and paper with enclosed air spaces therebetween is provided. Because of the'resilient frame construction, the insulating unit may be compressed to a considerable degree and yet return substantially to its original shape. Inasmuch as thin lightweight material is used, the insulating unit is relatively low in weight. The periphery of the insulating unit is guarded by the turned-up edges oi. the frame members and since the frame members are resilient, the insulating unit may be grasped along the edge portions without damage. Likewise, the resiliency of the unit is valuable, since it enables the unit to accommodate itself to variable dimensions of insulating space and yet fit tightly therein. The materials of which the insulating unit is made are, all relatively low in cost, and the structure 'may'readily be made by automatic machines. While the insulating unit has been shown as applied to refrigerator cabinets, it may also be used to serve other insulating purposes.

While the formof embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all comimg within the scope oi the claims which follow.

What is claimed isas follows: 1. An insulating structure including a plurality of slab-like units formed of a polygon-shaped sheet portion having resilient spacing structures extending parallel to and along the outer edges of the polygon-shaped sheet portion, said resilient spacing structures being capable of being compressed and returning to substantially their original shape through their own resiliency, said spacing structures being generally V-shaped in cross section and formed of a resilient sheet material, said slab-like units being stacked upon one another to form an insulating unit.

2. An insulating structure including a plurality of slab-like units formed of a polygon-shaped sheet portion having resilient spacing structures extending parallel to and along the outer edges of the polygon-shaped sheet portion, said resilient spacing structures being capable or being compressed and returning to substantially their original shape through their own resiliency, said spacing structures being iormed oi cantilever sheet portions extending at an acute angle to the polygon-shaped sheet, said slab-like units being stacked together to form an insulating unit.

3. An insulating structure including a plurality oi! slab-like units formed 01' a polygon-shaped sheet portion having resilient spacing structures extending parallel to and along the outer edges 01 the polygon-shaped sheet portion, said resilient spacing structures being capable of being compressed and returning to substantially their original shape through their own resiliency, said spacing structures including flat resilient strip material in units joined together at their adjacent ends, to form a polygon-shaped structure, said strip material having a longitudinal edge turned up and back to form an acute angle, said turned up edge portion forming a resilient cantilever, and an envelope enclosing said slab-like units and holding said units in a compressed condition therein. 7 v

:4. An insulating structure including a plurality of slab-like units formed'of a polygon-shaped sheet portion having resilient spacing structures extending parallel to and along the outer edges oi the polygon-shaped sheet portion, said resilient spacing structures being capable of being compressed and returning to substantially their original shape through their own resiliency, said spacing structures including flat resilient strip matej rial in units joined together at their adjacent ends to form a polygon-shaped structure, said strip material having a longitudinal edge turned up and back to form an acute angle, said turned up edge portion forming a resilientcantilever,

said spacing structures being formed of a doubled over strip of asphalt paper.

RICHARD E. I GOULD. 

